Improvements see Liverpool Cruise Terminal livelier than ever

Dec 19, 2016

Liverpool has always operated as a port city, while its connections to the sea have seen it become one of the most prosperous and industrious in the UK. It’s easy to forget that many of the goods we enjoy from overseas often find their way to us via Liverpool’s bustling port, which has only been further improved through the opening of a deepwater harbour that will help the facility to welcome larger ships and handle more containers of cargo.

These improvements to Liverpool’s Cruise Terminal are also great news for the cruise industry, although the market has already noticed Liverpool’s potential with no small amount of appreciation. The port itself has united with leading Irish Ports – just a short jaunt across the water on the Emerald Isle – as part of the Irish Sea Stepping Stones initiative. This ensures that the most beautiful locales in the British Isles are highlighted for cruise lovers to enjoy.

It also means that Liverpool Port will be working alongside the harbours at Cobh, Glasgow, Dublin and Belfast to make sure that congestion is kept at a minimum and that cruise ships will never be turned away from port, which is great news for us all.

Record breaking brilliance

The initiatives the Port of Liverpool is putting into action ahead of what promises to be a busy 2017 cruising season will only add to the heightened activity enjoyed in 2016. Liverpool Port welcomed a total of 63 cruise ships in 2016, a number that represents a rise of some 17% over the previous year and speaks volumes about the appeal of Liverpool Port to cruise ships.

It’s a figure that represents over 30,000 crew members and 80,000 passengers, yet Liverpool Port isn’t content to rest on its laurels before 2017’s cruising season begins. The cruise berth pontoons at Liverpool Port have been undergoing works to prepare for the coming year, which also happens to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the cruise ship berth. That is just the beginning of Liverpool Port’s ambitions though, as the plan is to construct a dedicated cruise terminal building that will further uplift the harbour’s position as one of Europe’s foremost cruise ship ports.

The plan for 2017

Altogether, 2017 is scheduled to see a healthy blend of returning cruise ships and first-time visits for a number of leading liners. Disney Magic is anticipated to draw in big crowds, as is the British Open Golf Championship, which is inviting notable cruise ships like Celebrity Silhouette and Azamara Journey to Liverpool Port simultaneously. Furthermore, to mark the 10th anniversary of the harbour as a cruise ship destination, Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth II will visit Liverpool Cruise Terminal on 11th July, as part of the celebration.

Any way we look at it, 2017 is set to be a massive year for Liverpool Port. Will your cruise plans be factoring in this intriguing corner of the British Isles?